Vibration felt on the gas pedal and steering wheel of my 2003 Mazda6i

Hi there! I currently own a 2003 Mazda6i that is well-maintained and has around 131,000 miles on it. Recently, I have been feeling vibrations on the steering wheel as well as the gas pedal of my car while I'm driving it. The vibrations aren't too pronounced but they are noticeable when I am driving my car on the freeway at around 65-75 miles per hour. Also, my car has also been experiencing a low-rpm output (about 700 rpm) when the engine is idle. I have also experienced an unusual spike in the fuel economy of the car. My car usually gets about 200 miles with half a tank of gas under normal driving conditions but that number has been recently hitting about 275 miles with the same amount of gas and under the same driving conditions. While I'm thrilled about the improved fuel economy of the car, I'm worried that might have to do something about the vibrations that I've been experiencing. There are no warning lights or any unusual displays on the dashboard so I'm not sure what to make of this. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

4 Answers

My best guess is that you've got an un balanced tire, that would explain the vibration...
and the extra fuel economy is coming from the fact that you're getting to speed more carefully trying to figure out what is wrong with the car? Slower acceleration makes for Higher Milage...
Can't think of much else that would cause a vibration like that...

I'd mostly agree with Chris. You're vibration most likely is in a tire. Could be out of balance, maybe lost the balancing weight off of the wheel, or it might be out of round, broken or shifted belt, or bulge. Be sure to have your front-end checked also as vibrations like that can wear out suspension and steering parts early.
"Also, my car has also been experiencing a low-rpm output (about 700 rpm) when the engine is idle."
What do you mean by this? Is it surging? If so, check for vacuum leaks, cracked or disconnected hoses. An easy way to do this is to LIGHTLY spray some starting fluid on lines and hoses while the engine is running. If the rpm's suddenly jump while you are spraying, that means there is a hole around that spot where the engine was able to suck in the starting fluid. BE CAREFUL to do this when the engine is not too hot, and DO NOT spray on the exhaust. Starting fluid is combustible, I've never seen it happen, but it can catch fire (have to add that disclaimer for certain people).
For your fuel economy...how have you regulated the amount of gas you put in? This might sound silly, but if you're always putting $20 in the tank to get to halfway, since gas prices went down so much, $20 would get you more gas, but probably not so much as to make a noticeable difference on your gas gauge. Check your receipts to see how many gallons you've put in it. Maybe it's not better mileage, just more gas goes farther. If that's not the case, then again I'd agree with Chris.

the low idle could also just be because of the cable that controls the idle speed. If it is just a little too loose it idles lower. I had the same problem with my car. Its a ten cent repair.
I agree with the others about the vibration and gas mileage. vibration is to be expected after aggressive driving though, epecially if you corner really hard. Good luck!

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